Warsaw Council Holds Public Hearing On Additional Appropriation
December 8, 2020 at 2:27 a.m.
Warsaw Council Holds Public Hearing On Additional Appropriation
By David [email protected]
Since the meeting was virtual with no members of the public able to attend in person, Mayor Joe Thallemer provided a phone number for people to text their comments to on the additional appropriation. None were made.
The additional appropriation was for $285,039.81. Thallemer said the money being appropriated was from the CARES Act and it was administered by the Indiana Finance Authority (IFA).
“All of these dollars that were appropriated had to be reimbursed, so we didn’t just get an allocation and spend it. We had to spend the money and apply for a reimbursement, which is what we’ve done,” Thallemer said. “We actually spent money and then relying on the reimbursement, we didn’t authorize any spending until we had approval from the IFA and that was part of the state’s procedure.”
He said the $285,039.81 needed to be appropriated back into the budget.
He said the relief money was given to the city from the federal government to react to the COVID crisis.
“The use of these funds was very restricted and we had to follow those restrictions,” Thallemer said.
He reminded the Council they transferred money back into the general fund in November, but that money needed to be appropriated so it could be spent on public safety and several other projects or uses.
Offering the Council a “rough” idea of how the funds were spent, Thallemer said the total allocation the city got from the CARES Act from the Department of the Treasury was $484,742. It was run through IFA.
Earlier this year, the city partnered with the county to provide some of those funds for COVID testing as the community was short on testing.
Thallemer said the city utilized about $107,000 for PPE (personal protection equipment); about $53,000 for testing with some bills still coming in; about $54,000 for an online permitting process for the building and planning department; $37,000 in building modifications to improve safety during the pandemic; $7,000 to Baker Youth Club for WiFi for their after-school programs; $28,000 to Cardinal Services for a staffing emergency situation as their staffing was being depleted by COVID; and $20,000 to Bowen Center for their testing.
“The majority of this money seems to be for testing and PPE,” Thallemer said. “And then the remainder, right now, will be appropriated for public safety.”
All the money has to be spent by year’s end. Thallemer said they have about $166,000 designated for public safety payroll. He said the approximately $285,000 needs to be appropriated so they can make the final payments this year.
Clerk-Treasurer Lynne Christiansen said the Indiana State Board of Accounts determined the money that was left over had to be allocated back to the general fund.
Councilman Mike Klondaris asked if the money that went to Cardinal paid for staffing and if they could do that. Thallemer said yes.
“They had an emergency situation where their staffing was depleted from COVID and it turned into a major concern for them. I called and offered help because I knew they were having some real issues,” Thallemer said.
The hearing on the additional appropriation was then opened to the public, but there was no public comments.
The Council approved the ordinance for the additional appropriation on first and second reading unanimously.
Next up was a resolution to transfer a total of $74,000 around in the cumulative capital development fund, as requested by MS4 Coordinator Ryan Workman and Utilities Superintendent Brian Davison. The money will help the stormwater utility to use the remaining dollars appropriated to stormwater in the CCD fund on a storm sewer rehabilitation project.
The Council’s last actions were to approve reappointments to the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals, Redevelopment Commission and to the Warsaw Community Development Corporation (WCDC).
Dan Smith will serve another four-year term on the BZA; Rick Snodgrass and Klondaris will serve another one-year term to the Redevelopment Commission; and Councilwoman Cindy Dobbins will continue to serve on the WCDC board.
Since the meeting was virtual with no members of the public able to attend in person, Mayor Joe Thallemer provided a phone number for people to text their comments to on the additional appropriation. None were made.
The additional appropriation was for $285,039.81. Thallemer said the money being appropriated was from the CARES Act and it was administered by the Indiana Finance Authority (IFA).
“All of these dollars that were appropriated had to be reimbursed, so we didn’t just get an allocation and spend it. We had to spend the money and apply for a reimbursement, which is what we’ve done,” Thallemer said. “We actually spent money and then relying on the reimbursement, we didn’t authorize any spending until we had approval from the IFA and that was part of the state’s procedure.”
He said the $285,039.81 needed to be appropriated back into the budget.
He said the relief money was given to the city from the federal government to react to the COVID crisis.
“The use of these funds was very restricted and we had to follow those restrictions,” Thallemer said.
He reminded the Council they transferred money back into the general fund in November, but that money needed to be appropriated so it could be spent on public safety and several other projects or uses.
Offering the Council a “rough” idea of how the funds were spent, Thallemer said the total allocation the city got from the CARES Act from the Department of the Treasury was $484,742. It was run through IFA.
Earlier this year, the city partnered with the county to provide some of those funds for COVID testing as the community was short on testing.
Thallemer said the city utilized about $107,000 for PPE (personal protection equipment); about $53,000 for testing with some bills still coming in; about $54,000 for an online permitting process for the building and planning department; $37,000 in building modifications to improve safety during the pandemic; $7,000 to Baker Youth Club for WiFi for their after-school programs; $28,000 to Cardinal Services for a staffing emergency situation as their staffing was being depleted by COVID; and $20,000 to Bowen Center for their testing.
“The majority of this money seems to be for testing and PPE,” Thallemer said. “And then the remainder, right now, will be appropriated for public safety.”
All the money has to be spent by year’s end. Thallemer said they have about $166,000 designated for public safety payroll. He said the approximately $285,000 needs to be appropriated so they can make the final payments this year.
Clerk-Treasurer Lynne Christiansen said the Indiana State Board of Accounts determined the money that was left over had to be allocated back to the general fund.
Councilman Mike Klondaris asked if the money that went to Cardinal paid for staffing and if they could do that. Thallemer said yes.
“They had an emergency situation where their staffing was depleted from COVID and it turned into a major concern for them. I called and offered help because I knew they were having some real issues,” Thallemer said.
The hearing on the additional appropriation was then opened to the public, but there was no public comments.
The Council approved the ordinance for the additional appropriation on first and second reading unanimously.
Next up was a resolution to transfer a total of $74,000 around in the cumulative capital development fund, as requested by MS4 Coordinator Ryan Workman and Utilities Superintendent Brian Davison. The money will help the stormwater utility to use the remaining dollars appropriated to stormwater in the CCD fund on a storm sewer rehabilitation project.
The Council’s last actions were to approve reappointments to the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals, Redevelopment Commission and to the Warsaw Community Development Corporation (WCDC).
Dan Smith will serve another four-year term on the BZA; Rick Snodgrass and Klondaris will serve another one-year term to the Redevelopment Commission; and Councilwoman Cindy Dobbins will continue to serve on the WCDC board.
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